


Craiglist for the Holidays

by Lasafara



Series: Holiday Hooligan [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Ableism, Acephobia, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Lots and lots of side pairings - Freeform, M/M, Mentions of past child abuse, Religious Intolerance, asexual!Cas, bisexual!dean, horrible family, like no a really horrible family, mentions of Cas/April in the past, neurotypicalism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 06:01:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10938474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lasafara/pseuds/Lasafara
Summary: Castiel Novak has been attempting to avoid his family for years, but the holidays are coming, and he's expected to make an appearance at his family's Thanksgiving dinner. When he finds a Craigslist ad that suggests that the poster will come to his family's dinner and be an awful houseguest under the guise of being his boyfriend, Castiel thinks that perhaps he will have a way to avoid further family gatherings.Dean Winchester seems like an answer to his hopes. But that's before everything goes horribly horribly wrong. Or maybe... Maybe they go just perfectly.





	1. The Meal

**Author's Note:**

> So this was written for the 2016-2017 Supernatural Asexual Minibang. My beta, stupidbadgers, was wonderful, and helped out SO much with this! My artist, Thette, was so great to work with. Her art is gorgeous!
> 
> As for the fic itself, it is a story about a man confronting his manipulative, abusive family. There are lots of mentions of past abuse, and some very not nice things that happen during the course of the story. Please, please, do not read this if family abuse bothers you. It was cathartic for me to write it, but I dont want anyone to harm themselves to read it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Alone on Thanksgiving? Mad at your family?_

 

The title struck Castiel. He hadn’t actually decided how to deal with his family this year for the holidays. He’d moved an hour away from them over a year ago, into a slightly larger but still not large town, and it was better by far than the tiny, conservative town his parents lived in. It was a dying steel town, actually, but it had an airport and a few things to do around town. Cas had gotten a decent office job, but his weekends stretched too long, so he’d picked up a second job at a local used bookstore. He lived a fairly boring life, in most respects, but it made him happy and that was the important thing. 

 

His family, on the other hand, was never happy. They’d not been happy with him as a child, when he’d tried so hard to be what they wanted, and when he finally gave up pleasing them, they were even less happy. He’d come out to them about the same time he’d moved here, and that had been a disaster. He’d kind of hoped it would be enough to get him disowned, force them to make the decision that still remained too hard for him. It hadn’t. Now, when they “borrowed” his couch (or more often, guilted him out of his bed, resigning him to sleep on the couch in his own home) to catch their early morning flights, they came with pamphlets for conversion therapy and “How To Have A Happy Sex Life.”. 

 

He clicked on the ad and began to read, curious what a Craigslist ad could offer someone who was mad at their family on the holidays.

 

_It’s Thanksgiving. Want to skip that long, insulting conversation about how you’re still single? About how your parents really want more grandchildren? Well, look no further! I am a 32 year old felon with a GED and a large, loud gas-guzzler from 1967. I can do anywhere from 25 to 38 depending on whether I shave. I’m a mechanic by day, and work as a bouncer at a dive bar on the weekends. If you’d like to have me as your strictly platonic date for Thanksgiving, but have me pretend to be in a very long or serious relationship with you, to torment your family, I’m game._

_I can do these things, at your request: Openly hit on other guests (male, female, or otherwise) while you act like you don’t notice. Start instigative discussions about politics and/or religion. Propose to you in front of everyone, possibly with the worst ring we can find at a pawn shop. Pretend to be really drunk as the evening goes on (sorry, I quit drinking a year ago, but I used to. Way too much. I know the drill). Start an actual, physical fight with a family member, either inside or on the front lawn for all the neighbors to see._

_I require no pay but the free meal I will receive as a guest! And pie!_

 

Cas read the ad several times, then, making his decision, took a deep breath and emailed the ad poster. 

 

*****

 

They met for coffee Tuesday afternoon. Cas walked into the Starbucks with no little trepidation. He’d been going back and forth on this for two days now, but ultimately, he didn’t want to back out of this. And honestly, he’d rather have his family confront a fake boyfriend who was more than happy with confrontation and wouldn’t judge him based on his family, rather than a real significant other who could easily be put off by his baggage. 

 

He spotted the leather jacketed man in the corner, and headed over. “Dean?”

 

Dean turned and smiled, and Cas was momentarily stunned by how beautiful the man was. “Yep, that’s me. You must be, ah… Casteel?”

 

“Castiel, yes. Castiel Novak. It’s nice to meet you.” Cas was unsure whether he should sit down or offer his hand, so he fumbled for a moment before sitting down across from Dean. Dean grinned.

 

“Dean Winchester. Gotta admit, you are a good-looking fellow to be needing a fake boyfriend,” Dean said, taking Cas’s offered hand and shaking it, before leaning back in his chair. 

 

Cas grinned, blushing slightly and looking down. “As are you. You don’t seem like the type who would be so desperate as to be willing to start fights with strangers for a holiday dinner.”

 

Dean shrugged. “Parents are dead, and my brothers can’t afford to leave their schools right now. We’ll do the holiday shindig with my stepmom at Christmas, when Sam and Adam both have a few weeks off.”

 

“Surely you have friends, or… someone?”

 

Dean narrowed his eyes, not quite glaring at Cas but not exactly not glaring, either. “Not in the area. Look, you wanna do this or not? I still got time to find someone else.”

 

Cas shook his head quickly. “No no, I do, I just. You’re not what I was expecting, is all.”

 

Laughing, Dean shrugged. “Alright, I gotcha. So where’s the family located?”

 

“Ah. Small town, about an hour from here. Danville?”

 

“Never heard of it.”

 

“I’m not surprised,” Cas said. “It’s… there’s not much there. Anyway ah… I was hoping you would be willing to drive me? If I… If I drive myself, there will be an expectation that I will stay until Sunday, while you would be going home.”

 

“Won’t they expect me to stay all weekend too? Gotta admit, as much fun as it sounds to spend four days picking fights, I gotta get back to work.” Dean looked hesitant.

 

“No. They may try to get you to leave me with them, assuring you that one of them will drive me home, but they will not expect you to stay. Our… “relationship” is “sinful” and they will not want both of us under one roof overnight. Any suggestion that we share a room would be “condoning” our “behavior” and that would be a sin as well.” 

 

Dean chuckled. “Dude, I’ve never met anyone who still uses air quotes, that’s awesome. But yeah, sure, I can make sure I’m your escape. No problem.”

 

Cas heaved a sigh of relief, and finally smiled for the first time. Dean smiled back, and for a long moment they simply stared into each other’s eyes. After what felt like a lifetime, Dean coughed, and looked down. When he raised his head again, the gentle gaze was gone, replaced with a cocky smirk. Cas found he liked them both. “So, better get down to business, right? What kind of things would you like me to do at your dinner?”

 

They spent the next couple of hours hashing out the details. By the end, Cas wasn’t sure whether to be elated or sick over it.

 

*****

 

Dean picked Castiel up at 7am on Thanksgiving Day in a giant black… boat. Cas stared at it for a long moment, clutching his 2011 Terre Rouge Tete-a-Tete to his chest. He’d scanned the wine section for something cheap that he could take to the dinner to appear grateful without breaking the bank, and the idea of bringing a wine that implied a meaningful conversation between people to a party in which he intended to start fights amused him deeply. 

 

It’d been a long time since Cas had seen a car that rivaled his for size, and this black car definitely did that. Dean laughed as he got out. “Dude, you look nervous. I promise the car is safe. I built her from the ground up. Twice!”

 

Cas looks to Dean, startled. “Twice?”

 

“Ah, yeah. Accident two years ago. Anyway. You ready?” Dean pauses as he sees the wine bottle. “Should I have brought something?”

 

“No, we’re a couple, remember? I bought this to be from both of us. I wouldn’t have expected you to buy anything for this.” Cas follows Dean to the passenger side, where Dean opens the door for him with a flourish. “I haven’t seen an older model car like this in a while, besides my own. It’s very nice.”

 

“67 Impala, best car Chevy ever made! My father bought it new, but it broke down when I was young. Ended up rusting out in our backyard, until I was 16, and my uncle Bobby helped me fix her up. Been mine ever since. What's your's?”

 

“78 Lincoln Continental. My brother calls it a pimpmobile. I bought it when I moved out,” Cas said, getting into the car and situating himself. 

 

“Huh.” Dean shut the door for Cas and then went around to the driver’s door and got in. “You got a preference for music? I go for the classics myself, but since we're supposed to be dating, I suppose I can let you pick.”

 

“The classics? I would not have suspected you to be a great fan of Beethoven, but that would be acceptable.”

 

“Beethoven? What? Hey, did you just insult me?” Cas was scrambling to apologize when Dean glanced over with a grin. “Nah, man, I mean like Zep or Queen. I don't mind classical music, but I don't have any of that in the car. Is that good for you?”

 

“Ah. Yes, that would be fine. I am flexible when it comes to music.” Cas settled the wine bottle across his lap, and leaned back against the bench seat. 

 

“Flexible, huh?” Dean snorted, and continued, “you really shouldn’t give a man that kind of opening.”

 

Cas blushed a little, but then turned a sly grin towards Dean. “Well, I am, in fact, flexible in other ways, too.”

 

Dean laughed and put in Zeppelin’s _In Through The Out Door_ , and began to sing along to the first song. Cas smiled to himself and sat back. It seemed like the drive would pass pleasantly, at least. He was hoping that the pleasant drive would be a precursor to, if not a pleasant visit with his family, at least one where they were too focused on his date to torment him.

 

***

 

Cas pointed out their turns as Dean drove through the main street, and then into the residential area of the tiny town. Street parking was scarce, as everyone seemed to have family in as well, but Cas directed Dean to his parents’ driveway. There was a car parked there already, but it was deep enough in that Dean could pull his car in behind it. They got out of the car and Cas led the way up to the front door. He took a deep breath, realizing he was shaking just slightly. Dean rested his hand at the small of Cas’s back, noticing the tremors. 

 

“You okay?”

 

Cas nodded. “I. Yes, I will be. Let’s just get this over with.”

 

“....You want me to tone it down a bit? That’s okay, we can do that,” Dean said, leaning in close and pulling Cas against his body. Cas relaxed into the other man, drawing strength and taking a deep breath before nodding again. 

 

“No, stick to the plan. It’s okay.”

 

Dean nodded, and reached up to ring the doorbell.

 

A few moments later, a woman with her hair pulled back in a harsh bun answered the door. “Castiel! It seems you deigned to show up this year. And you’ve brought a… friend.”

 

“Yes. This is my boyfriend, Dean. Dean, this is my mother, Naomi Novak,” Cas introduced them cautiously. Dean reached out his hand to shake Naomi’s, but she did not reciprocate.

 

“I see you’ve gotten over that nonsense about not having sex. What did you call it? No-sexual? Pity you decided to do so with...him. Couldn’t you have brought home a nice young lady?” Naomi asked, turning her nose up at Dean’s hand, as though it were an animal attempting to slobber on her.

 

Cas sighed. “It’s called _asexual_ , Mother. And it’s still possible to be _asexual_ with a partner. Relationships do not need to be built on sexual intercourse.”

 

“Hmmph. Well, come in. Lord knows you won’t both be back next year, so we might as well make the most of it.” With that, Naomi turned and headed into the house, leaving the front door open behind her. 

 

Cas stepped inside, immediately toeing off his shoes and setting them on the shoe rack by the front door. Dean paused, and then followed suit. “She always like that?”

 

“Mostly. This is actually fairly nice of her,” Cas said with a shrug. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

 

Dean reached out and took Cas’s hand. Cas turned, and gave Dean a small smile, and did not let go. He led Dean further into the house, to the living room where several people were seated on various pieces of furniture. A man with long honey brown hair waved, holding a wine cooler. “Heeeey, Cassie! Who’s the hottie?”

 

“Ah. Hello Gabriel. This is Dean. My boyfriend.” Cas grimaced at the nickname, but didn’t argue. He also did not let go of Dean’s hand. Dean waved with his free hand.

 

“Damn. You still plant-sexual, kiddo?” Gabriel asked with a smirk.

 

“ _Asexual_. And yes.”  
“Cool. So he’s fair game. You hear that Michael?” Gabriel nudged the man sitting next to him, a dark-haired man who was clearly undressing Dean mentally.

 

“He is _not_ “fair game,” he is my _boyfriend_ ,” Cas said angrily, glaring now at both Gabriel and Michael. Gabriel winked, and Michael continued his leering, before dragging his eyes up to Dean’s with a smirk. Dean had never quite felt so much like a piece of meat before. Before he could say anything, though, a man with close-cropped dirty blonde hair piped up.

 

“Castiel, if you parked behind me, I swear to God I will take a fucking baseball bat to your car. You know I have work Friday night.”

 

“Hey hey hey! Ain’t nobody taking a baseball bat to Baby!” Dean cried stepping forward and pulling his hand free of Cas’s. Cas rolled his eyes and put a restraining hand on Dean’s chest.

 

“Lucifer, we will not be staying overnight. We will be gone before you need to leave.”

 

“Damn well better be. I’m not going to be late because your boytoy blocked me in,” Lucifer took a swig of his bottle of beer and glared for a moment, before turning back to the television. They appeared to be watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

 

Cas took Dean’s hand again, giving it a small squeeze. Dean was fuming, but he squeezed back, calming slightly. The dark-skinned bald man in the corner rolled his eyes at this. “I see you got your faggot trained, Cassie. Does he beg, too?”

 

The men all chortled, and Michael gave Dean another once-over. “I’d like to see that. Perhaps you could give me a demonstration?”

 

Grinding his teeth slowly, Cas counted to ten before responding. “Dean, these are my brothers, Gabriel, Michael, Lucifer, and Uriel,” he said, pointing to each man in turn, “They are charming, as you can see.”

 

The four men laughed again, and Cas dragged Dean out of the room. “I’m very sorry. I had assumed they would… focus a bit more on me,” Cas said.

 

Dean shook his head. “Hey, I signed up for a hostile Thanksgiving. No big deal. I just… Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine. Come on. My sister will be in the kitchen with my mother. We should introduce you to her.” Castiel led the way into the kitchen, not letting go of Dean’s hand. 

 

The kitchen was large, and every space was being used. There were pots on every burner, the counter was covered in casserole dishes either just out of the oven or ready to go in. The turkey was clearly in the process of being cooked, and Naomi was busy stirring something in a large mixing bowl. She paused for a moment to glance at Cas when he came through the door, and rolled her eyes. “Can’t you see we’re busy, Castiel? Can’t you go watch the parade with your brothers?”

 

“I thought it would be polite to introduce my boyfriend to my sister and sisters-in-law, Mother, as well as drop off the wine we brought to chill,” Cas said, emphasizing the word ‘boyfriend.’

 

“Very well. If you must. Then please, leave and let us finish our work, unless you don’t want to eat today.”

 

Cas gestured around the room. “Dean, this is Lilith, Lucifer’s wife,” a woman with wavy blonde hair, “Eve, Michael’s wife,” a young brunette, “Kali, Gabriel’s wife,” a black-haired Indian woman, “Ambriel, my sister,” a black-haired Asian woman with glasses, “and April, Uriel’s wife,” a light-brown haired woman. 

 

April grinned at Dean, “I’m also Cassie’s ex. Did he mention that?”

 

Dean shook his head, “Nope. He dump you when he got smart?”

 

Naomi glared at Dean, but before she could say anything, April responded, “Oh, no, I broke his heart. You see, I never actually had any interest in him. But he, oh my was he interested in me. This whole gay thing? It’s completely a show. He won’t stay with you. I didn’t care so much for him, and when I caught Uriel’s eye… Well, who could blame me for picking the better brother? It’s certainly not _my_ fault he’s so hung up on me he can’t seem to find a _normal_ relationship.”

 

Dean clenched his fists, while Cas tensed up beside him. “Right, yes. Thank you April, for that reminder of your betrayal.”

 

“You can’t betray someone you didn’t care for in the first place, sweetheart,” Eve said, shrugging.

 

Lilith laughed, and even Naomi smiled softly at that. Ambriel looked down, not saying anything. Kali, on the other hand, rolled her eyes. “If you guys are done teasing him, I could use some help. We’d like to get done sometime today, after all.”

 

The women turned back to their tasks. Naomi stared at Cas and Dean for a moment more, then sighed, “Castiel, see if you can drag your father out of his office. Dinner will be ready shortly, and he should come out and join the family.” There was a pause, and then she turned away, continuing, “Perhaps he can talk you out of this homosexual nonsense.”

 

Castiel took a few deep breaths, clearly counting to ten, before he left the kitchen, Dean following behind him. Dean wasn’t quite sure what to make of all of this. Sure, he’d signed up for a hostile holiday, but he figured he’d be the one making it terrible. At the moment, what he wanted to do most was comfort Cas, but he wasn’t sure how to do that. The two men weren’t even really friends, after all. 

 

Before he could work out a solution, Cas was knocking on a door. A muffled noise came from inside the room, which could have been “Come in!” or just as easily “Fuck off!” Cas, however, seemed to take it for an invitation, and opened the door. 

 

“Father?”

 

The man seated behind the desk had scruffy brown hair and a scruffy beard. In contrast, the woman leaning disturbingly close over him, while also brunette, looked meticulously put together, every wavy hair in place. The man looked up. “Is it time for dinner already?”

 

“Not quite, but it appears as though everyone has arrived. Mother would like you to come out. Perhaps you would like to watch the parade?” Cas asked, as he stepped aside enough for Dean to step into the room. The woman’s eyes settled on Dean appreciatively, and she came out from behind the desk.

 

“Ah, Nephew. Who is this that you’ve brought to see me?” she asked, stepping just a hair too close to Dean for comfort. He moved closer to Cas in response, letting go of Cas’s hand and wrapping his arm around the other man’s waist instead.

 

“Aunt Amara. This is my boyfriend, Dean. Dean, this is Amara, and my father, Charles.”

 

The man at the desk waved absently, and said, “Call me Chuck. Castiel, tell your mother I’ll be down in just a moment. I just have to get this scene right.”

 

Cas nodded. “As you wish, Father, but you know Mother will be angry if you take too long.”

 

“Right, right. Ten minutes, tops.” Chuck waved vaguely in the direction of Castiel, Dean, and Amara. 

 

Amara grinned. “Chuck, darling, I will head on down without you. Don’t be too long!”

 

Chuck waved again, still paying more attention to the computer in front of him than the people he was theoretically talking to. Amara blew him a kiss, though he failed to acknowledge it, and then wrapped her arm around Dean’s waist. She did this in such a strategic way, turning Dean around in the process, that Dean let go of Cas entirely, letting Amara replace Castiel at his side. By the time the two men realized what had happened, she had already led Dean out the door. Cas sighed, and followed after. Dean glanced over his shoulder with a pleading look at Cas, but Cas only cocked his head, looking mildly confused. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do about it, given that the hallway was barely big enough for both Amara and Dean, let alone for Castiel to intercede.

 

His plans to step in when they got to a room were waylaid, however, when Uriel stepped out of a door and directly into his path. “Hello, brother.”

 

“Hello Uriel. How can I help you?” Castiel did not let any emotion show on his face. 

 

“Ah, Cassie, why the sour face?” 

 

Cas cringed almost imperceptibly at the voice behind him. “April. Did I interrupt something?”

 

“No, of course not, brother! We were looking for you. How have you been, dear brother?” Uriel appeared to be genuine, but Cas was suspicious. He’d fallen for Uriel’s “honesty” before.

 

“I am well. And you?”

 

“We are well,” April answered, wrapping one arm around Cas’s waist and the other around Uriel’s. “We wanted you to be the first to know, Cassie! We have wonderful news!”

 

Cas tensed at her touch, and at the self-righteous looks on both their faces. He was quite sure he did not want to know this news, even suspected what it was. He took in a breath, and squared his shoulders. “Yes?”

 

“We’re pregnant!” April exclaimed, giving Cas the smuggest, most nauseating smile he’d ever seen. Cas took a deep breath, giving them a forced smile and opening his mouth to congratulate them, but April continued before he could speak. “Just imagine if I had actually had children with _you_ all those years ago! Why, it’s the silliest thing to think of, now that I’m actually pregnant. After all, Uriel here has a much better job than you do, more than enough to provide for our child. He’s far more stable than you are, as well, as I’m sure you know. I can’t believe I ever considered you to be real father material.”

 

Bowing his head for a moment, Cas fought back tears. He hadn’t thought of those dreams of parenthood he’d shared with April in years. He’d known that without a partner, he had little to no chance of having children, and had pushed it all to the back of his mind. Now they all came boiling up, and he struggle to compose himself. He looked up, seeing his brother and sister-in-law staring at him triumphantly. He sighed.

 

“Congratulations, you two. I hope the birth goes well. If you will excuse me, I should go find Dean,” Cas shouldered his way past them, refusing to acknowledge their smug looks and delighted laughter. 

 

*****

 

Meanwhile, Dean had somehow managed to get himself cornered by both Amara and Michael. Michael had apparently been on the way to the kitchen for another beer and, having seen Amara and Dean coming down the hall, had waylaid the two of them. Now, Dean had both Cas’s aunt and Cas’s brother standing far far too close for comfort.

 

“So, Dean,” Michael stretched the name out, clearly attempting to be seductive. Had Dean been in a bar, looking for a hookup, it might have worked, but knowing that Michael was flirting with him while under the belief that Dean was dating his brother, Dean was mostly angry. He’d come here expecting to flirt with Cas’s family, but at this point he was not sure how well he was going to be able to hold up his side of the Craigslist bargain. “Dean, tell me, how long have you been dating our Castiel?”

 

Fortunately, Dean and Cas had discussed this. “Six months. He’s been very good to me.”

 

“Six months? And has he forced his celibacy onto you? A virile man like you, you must be chafing under such restrictions,” Amara said, pressing a hand to Dean’s cheek to firmly turn his head towards her. As she did, Dean felt another hand (Michael’s hand? It had to be, coming from that direction) slip under the hem of his shirt, pressing fingertips gently against the soft skin of his stomach. Dean jumped, the muscles in his abdomen twitching under the exploration.

 

“Hey hey! Hands off the goods!” Dean attempted to grab at Michael’s hand while still being forced to face Amara. It was not as easy as it sounded, since the hand kept moving, and Amara was much stronger than she looked.

 

“Oh Dean. You know you can’t resist me,” Amara said, dancing her hand up the muscles on his arm. “A big strong man like you? You need someone like me, a tender woman who can meet your needs. Not someone like Castiel, who denies himself all the best things in life.”

 

Michael, on Dean’s other side, slid his hand up just a touch farther, so that he could rest his palm across Dean’s stomach. Despite being a couple of inches shorter than Dean, Dean would swear that Michael was leaning over him. Michael gently took Dean’s earlobe into his mouth, causing a full-body shudder. Releasing it, Michael whispered into his ear, “Imagine, Dean. You clearly like men. How would you feel with both of us? You needn’t worry about Castiel. He need never know, and even if he finds out, well. It’s not like he can expect anyone else to remain as chaste as he thinks himself to be, right?”

 

Dean was beginning to panic, trying to decide whether or not to just start throwing punches (at this point, hitting a woman was a lot more desireable than being trapped between these two), when he heard someone clear their throat. Praying that it was not Cas (he didn’t know quite why, since he and Cas weren’t actually dating and they had talked about Dean making out with Cas’s family, but he felt that somehow this would be a betrayal), Dean glanced over. Michael straightened slightly, but neither he nor Amara removed their hands from Dean’s body.

 

“Dean,” said Naomi firmly, her arms across her chest. “While I don’t approve of your _relationship_ with my son, I will ask you to please refrain from flirting with his aunt while in my house. I’m sure she is as appalled by your behavior as I am. If you would kindly make your way to the living room, I’m certain Michael and the other men will be happy to entertain you.” 

 

Finally, the pair stepped back from Dean. Dean was more than a little indignant that even though Michael made no attempt to hide where his hand had been, Naomi seemed completely oblivious. However, it was the escape he needed, and he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Nodding to both Naomi and Amara in turn, he said, “I’m sorry ma’am, and ma’am. I’ll just see myself to the living room then? Thank you.”

 

He politely but quickly moved past all of them, entering the living room and finding the armchair blessedly empty. Plopping himself into it, he settled in to watch the rest of the parade. At least in this chair, no one was likely to sit next to him and cop a feel.

 

*****

 

Castiel was just walking past the kitchen when he heard his name. He stopped, unsure whether it was someone talking to or about him. He was not sure he wanted to deal with either at this point, but decency dictated he at least acknowledge someone talking to him. 

 

“Castiel! Hi. Hi Castiel. I’m sorry I didn’t say hello to your boyfriend earlier. It… Mother is, well…” The speaker was Ambriel, who came out of the kitchen to stand in front of Cas. Cas nodded to her.

 

“Mother is very much herself, yes. How are you, Ambriel?” Cas asked, trying to smile. He wasn’t angry with her, after all, but despite having fought back the tears from his encounter with Uriel and April, he was not quite ready to fake pleasantries. 

 

“I’m. Well, I’m all right. I’m in college now, in Family and Consumer Sciences. Mother chose it. She said I’d be more likely to find a man if I had a less intimidating degree. I suppose she’s right,” Ambriel adjusted her glasses, cocking her head to peer closer at Cas. “Are you all right? After your defiance of Mother, I didn’t expect you to ever step foot here again.”

 

“It is a time for family, Ambriel. I suppose I am still sentimental enough to wish for that.”

 

“Ah. Well, I’m glad you’re here, in any case. It takes the pressure off of me. Heaven knows you’ve messed up more than the rest of us combined, and Mother is always willing to focus on how terribly you failed her as a child. It does help the rest of us relax.” Ambriel spoke matter-of-factly, as though this were all perfectly normal. Although, as Cas thought about it, perhaps it was. Perhaps he really had simply failed his family, instead of his family failing him, and he deserved all of the contempt they’d thrown at him, both today and over the years.

 

Suddenly the tears were back, and Cas had to take a deep breath. “It was good to speak to you, sister, but I was just on my way to the bathroom. If you will excuse me?”

 

“Oh! Of course! I’ll see you at dinner!” Ambriel ducked back into the kitchen, and Cas went to the bathroom and locked the door behind him. How had he let things get this far? He should send Dean home. He should never have brought the other man into this. His family had every right to treat him as they did, and…

 

Cas turned on the sink faucet and sat on the toilet. He still had several hours here, and he wouldn’t let them see him break.

 

*****

 

Dean was just starting to zone out on the parade when he felt the armchair move beneath him. Expecting the worst, he tensed up and turned towards the source of the movement. 

 

Lucifer was leaning over the couch, gently rocking the armchair Dean was sitting on. “Hey, uh. Lucifer right? Can I help you?”

 

Lucifer grinned, and Dean was uncomfortably reminded of a snake. “Not particularly. I am curious, though, about how well you know our dear brother.”

 

Gabriel, on the other side of the couch, was grinning in Dean’s direction as well. Dean raised an eyebrow, unsure where this conversation was heading. “Well enough, I suppose. I mean, we're not married, but…”

 

“And thank goodness for that! No offense, of course, Dean. It's just that, well, we're all fairly sure that someone like you wouldn't want to be permanently attached to someone like Cassie.” Lucifer’s grin, if possible, got even wider.

 

Dean was only getting more suspicious. “Why? Because you don't think two men can be in love?”

 

“Well, that may be true, and surely no one can be in a _real_ relationship with an amoeba-sexual, but really it's more to do with his past and his… instability. Surely our boy has told you about his _episodes_ , hasn't he?” Gabriel was positively gleeful as he talked, and Dean was already taking everything with a grain of salt.

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

“You see, Dean, our dear Castiel has a bit of a temper problem. He’s just… Not all there, you know?” Lucifer leaned over a little farther, not yet in Dean’s space, but somehow Dean was still uncomfortable.

 

“No, I don’t know. I’m not sure I want to,” Dean said, sounding just a little angry.

 

“You definitely do, Dean-o, because you are going to want to make sure you aren’t his target. You see, Cassie has a tendency to see things a bit differently than the rest of us--”

 

Dean interrupted Gabriel, “That’s not a bad thing, from what I’ve seen here.”

 

“Ah ah ah, don’t interrupt! As I was saying, Castiel sees things differently. And when he reacts, he tends to react… violently. He had to go into therapy after the worst instance. He had a bit of a falling-out with Raphael, a friend of Michael’s who was a bit older than Cassie. There was a restraining order involved. He nearly killed poor Ralphie! He even had to change schools, it was so bad. Of course, he was underage when this happened, so his record has been sealed, but… You never know with old Cassiopeia, when that volcano will…” Gabriel paused, and then threw his arms up in the air dramatically, shouting, “Explode!”

 

Dean rolled his eyes, turning back to the television. “I’m not listening to this anymore. Knock it off.”

 

But he couldn’t help wondering. After all, how much did he really know about Castiel? He’d talked to him a couple of times over email, met him in person two days ago, and spent an hour in the car with him today. Sure, Cas didn’t seem like the type to try to kill someone, but then who did when you first met them? He’d heard that Ted Bundy was incredibly charismatic, and Hannibal Lecter always seemed really personable in the movies. Right up until he started eating people, anyway. 

 

Dean didn’t want to doubt his fake boyfriend, but. Even though Cas’s family was clearly terrible, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was more going on here than he could comprehend.

 

*****

 

Cas looked up at the knock on the bathroom door, and stood up. “Just a second!”

 

He splashed some water on his face, dried off, and then opened the door. His mother was standing there, looking at him with pity. “Ah, hello Mother. I’ll just get out of your way.”

 

“Castiel wait. If I could, I would like to talk to you a moment before dinner starts,” Naomi said, sounding gentle. She couldn’t quite pull off kind, not at least to Castiel’s ears, but she was clearly trying. Cas took a deep breath and held it for a moment, and then nodded.

 

“Castiel, sweetie. I understand that you are feeling troubled. Being alone for all these years, I understand that it’s hard on a young man, and that it’s been easier for you to pretend that you’d simply been unable to control your inability to have a real relationship. Lord knows you’re not exactly likeable. Don’t get me wrong, I love you. Of course I do, I’m your mother. But we all know you’re a difficult person to like. Clearly even your friend Dean thinks so. I caught him flirting with your aunt earlier this afternoon,” Naomi said, shaking her head. “I just want you to know. Your father and I, we only want the best for you. We understand your need for experimentation. The things your father did before he settled down… Well, we all know men need to sow some wild oats before they get married. The point…” 

 

Naomi trailed off, looking at Castiel. Cas focused on her nose, knowing if he made eye contact he’d cry, or scream, or maybe just break down, and he refused to give her the satisfaction. “The point,” Naomi continued, “is that while we support you, we also would prefer you not bring anyone else home until you’re serious about them. You know I will always welcome another daughter-in-law into the household, and you’ll be so much happier if you would just find a nice young woman and settle down, maybe have some grandchildren.”

 

Castiel twitched almost imperceptibly, trying not to react to the mention of “children.” Instead, he nodded, “As you say, Mother.”

 

Naomi smiled softly and patted his cheek gently. “Thank you, dear. I promise you’ll be happier once you’ve let go of all this anti-sexual nonsense. Now then, get cleaned up! Dinner is ready.”

 

Cas didn’t bother to correct her this time. He just nodded and shut the door behind her as she left. He stood still for a moment until he was sure he wasn’t going to throw up, washed his face once more, and stepped out of the bathroom. He spotted Dean heading towards the dining room and stepped up beside him, taking his hand. 

 

Dean jerked his hand away, looking at Cas guiltily. Castiel wasn’t sure what had happened since they’d gotten separated, but… Somehow Dean wasn’t looking at him the same way he had been earlier. He sighed, but led Dean to the table. 

 

At the table, people were starting to sit. Castiel pulled out a chair in the middle, next to Gabriel. Gabriel immediately grabbed the chair. “Sorry kiddo. Seat’s taken.”

 

Cas sighed and moved to a seat beside Lilith. “Sorry, sweetie, I don’t want to sit next to you. You understand.”

 

Dean sighed, and pulled out a chair without anyone next it. Before Cas could get to him, Michael and Amara were seated to either side of him. Dean’s eyes went wide, and he stood back up, going to the other side of the table and snagging Cas on the way. He sat Cas down in an empty chair with an empty spot on either side, and then sat next to him. Amara moved too, plopping herself down to Dean’s other side before Michael could, the two looking as though they were playing a convoluted game of Musical Chairs. After squabbling over the chair for a moment, Michael took the chair from Cas’s other side, and placed it behind but between Dean and Cas. 

 

“Excuse me, let me just fit in here… We’re a bit crowded this year,” Michael said, attempting to edge the chair in between Dean’s chair and Cas’s. 

 

Dean quickly scooted his chair over so that his chair, thigh, and shoulder was pressed firmly against Cas’s. “No problem. Plenty of room over here,” Dean said, indicating the side Amara was seated on.

 

When Michael realized he wasn’t going to be able to shove his way between the two men, he reluctantly moved the chair back, and found a seat further down the table. The chair, still next to Castiel, remained empty. Even once everyone was seated, no one sat in the chair next to Castiel. Cas glanced at the empty chair for a moment, and then stared down at his plate. This happened most years, so he wasn’t surprised, but it never failed to upset him.

 

Dean watched Cas out of the corner of his eye. That couldn’t be an act. The other man was clearly upset, and no one in his family was even trying to make him feel better. Dean may not be big in chick flick moments, but even he wouldn’t be able to leave a family member looking like that. It took a moment longer, but finally he gently reached over, under the table and out of sight, and placed his hand on Castiel’s knee. Cas looked over at him quickly, eyes wide in astonishment and some fear, but he finally relaxed, resting his own hand on Dean’s.

 

Naomi spoke up once everyone was settled. “Now, everyone take hands. Who will say grace for us this year?”

 

“I will,” said Lilith. 

 

“Very well. Take hands, and we’ll pray,” replied Naomi. Everyone around the table reached out and held the hand of the person next to them. Dean was hesitant to take Amara’s but he didn’t want to call attention to himself either, so reluctantly he allowed her to hold his hand. Cas, with a chair between him and Ambriel, simply rested his free hand on the table, as did Ambriel. They all bowed their heads and closed their eyes as Lilith began to pray.

 

“Our Heavenly Father, we thank you this Thanksgiving Day for our bountiful feast. We thank you that the weather was good, and allowed all of us to arrive safely. We thank you for the many blessings this family has gained this year. We thank you that we live in a nation that gives us so many freedoms. We ask, Dear Lord, that you continue to protect the persecuted Christians of America, who labor wearily under the oppression of The Gay Agenda, who are forced to choose between following corrupt laws and following the perfect rules You laid out for us in Your Word. Let the Rapture come soon, Dear Lord, so that those of us at this table who are worthy in Your Eyes may join You in Heaven. Guide those here who have fallen short back to Your ways, and cast the unworthy in The Pit. In Your Son’s Name we pray, Amen.”

 

Castiel cringed his way through the prayer, refusing to look at Dean. Today was not going at all the way he’d expected, but perhaps it was the way it was always destined to be. He’d expected, honestly, to be kicked out before this point. Dean had promised to be a terrible houseguest, and while he achieved that simply by existing, Cas hadn’t had a chance to direct him at anyone. In fact, he hadn’t even seen much of him after he’d made introductions. Perhaps Dean had been fulfilling his side of the bargain, but Cas didn’t know, and certainly his family was being more charitable about his “boyfriend” than he’d been expecting. After all, he was still here. 

 

The worst part, however, was the sudden chill that had fallen between Dean and himself. He would have been satisfied to simply have brought Dean for moral support, because even a stranger was better than nothing. But once the seating arrangements had been worked out, Dean had shifted back over and away from Cas. When the prayer was done, he’d dropped Castiel’s hand like a coal. Cas was not sure what he’d done to offend Dean, what had been said for Dean to be looking at him so suspiciously, but he could feel Dean’s eyes on him, and he couldn’t help but be ashamed. Perhaps Dean had simply figured out the truth, that Cas was an inconsequential body filling a chair because Naomi didn’t want her reputation tarnished with the knowledge that she’d given up on her wayward son.

 

“Now then!” Naomi said, cheerfully. “While we eat, let’s all mention one thing that we are thankful for this year! Then we can fill our bellies with food and gratitude! I’ll go first. I’m thankful to have all of my children around the table again. It has been so nice to spend time with my sons and daughter, and of course my beloved daughters-in law. Charles dear, how about you?”

 

Chuck barely glanced up from carving the turkey. “I'm thankful I got an extension on my deadlines.”

 

Ambriel spoke next, “I'm thankful I passed my classes this semester!”

 

“I'm thankful my nephew has such a keen eye for men, and doesn't mind sharing,” Amara said, caressing Dean’s arm beside her. Dean grimaced and pulled away. Cas sighed, but said nothing.

 

“I too am thankful for my brother's choice in temporary companions,” Michael said, leering at Dean from his chair.

 

Uriel took April's hand and shot a smug grin at Cas. Cas looked away, knowing what was coming next. “I'm thankful for the new life growing within my wife.”

 

“And I am thankful that I waited for the right man to have children with,” April said, grinning around the room.

 

Naomi happily clapped her hands. “You’re finally giving me grandbabies! How far along?”

 

Cas was tense during the entirety of the talk of babies, and wasn't particularly interested in the food. He took small amounts of the things he was passed, but everything tasted like ash in his mouth. 

 

Dean, on the other hand, was shoveling food in like it was going out of style. He was considering what he should do at this point. Cas was clearly miserable, but he wasn’t sure Cas was… Well, how much of what Cas's brothers had said was true? Did it matter? 

 

Finally Naomi grinned, and turned to Kali. “Now then, dear. What are you thankful for this year?”

 

Kali shrugged, “I'm thankful I navigated another year as Gabriel’s wife without resorting to murder.”

 

Everyone at the table laughed politely, though Dean suspected Kali was being more honest than the family gave her credit for. Gabriel winked at her, and she rolled her eyes. 

 

Lucifer piped up then, “I'm thankful that Castiel has successfully encompassed the statistical probability of weirdness required in our family, allowing the rest of us to be upstanding citizens.”

 

“Yeah, well, I'm just thankful Cassie finally got laid!” Gabriel said, raising a fork for emphasis. Cas's shoulders slumped, and he slid a couple of inches down in his seat.

 

Eve smiled softly, pointedly not looking at Dean or Cas. “I'm thankful that all right-thinking people in this country still condemn the unnatural union of two men.”

 

Castiel’s shoulders twitched and he slid down slightly further in his seat, but he did not look up from his plate. Dean glared at Eve, and shoved another forkful of food into his mouth. 

 

“I'm thankful that all signs point to us living in the End Of Days, and that the Lord will return in our lifetime to wipe away the sinners and sodomists,” Lilith said serenely, raising an eyebrow at Dean’s outraged look. Dean glanced over at Cas, who was still lower in his chair. If he went too much further, Dean was sure he'd end up under the table altogether. He opened his mouth, but Naomi spoke up first.

 

“And Castiel? What are you thankful for this year?”

 

“My family,” Cas said, loud enough to hear, but with no inflection in his voice. It was nothing like the man Dean had met two days ago, the man who'd teased him on the way here, who'd willingly jammed out to his classic rock. 

 

Naomi sighed. “Now Castiel, you are no longer a child. Charles, tell your son to sit up properly and participate in the holiday like an adult,” she said.

 

Chuck gestured with a serving spoon absently, clearly more focused on the meal. “Son, listen to your mother.”

 

Dean made a decision and spoke up before anyone else could.

 

“I'm thankful for that wine Cas and I brought! Hey Cas, you want to come to the kitchen with me to find it? I'd really like some now!” Dean sounded overly cheerful even to his own ears, but it was either that or screaming incoherently. 

 

Castiel looked over at him, cocking his head in confusion. Naomi immediately jumped in. “That's not necessary. I thought we'd all have water at the table for dinner.”

 

“No, no, I definitely need a glass of wine. That teta-tet stuff, right? Something French about polite conversation? Come on, babe, come with me. Let’s go teta-tet in the kitchen,” Dean pulled Cas up out of his chair and towards the kitchen. He could feel Naomi glaring daggers in his back, but he wasn't going to stop. 

 

“No blow jobs in the kitchen!” Gabriel said as the kitchen door shut behind them. Dean could hear the family as they grumbled and fought beyond the door, but he ignored it.

 

*****

 

Cas leaned back against a counter on the far end of the room and slowly slid to the floor. “The wine would be in the refrigerator. If you want to get it, you can go ahead on back to your meal. I just need a moment.”

 

Dean stood there for a moment, and then sighed, settling down against the island on the floor across from Castiel. “Hey. You okay?”

 

“Not really, no. I didn’t expect it to be this hard,” Cas said. “I’ll be fine. Go on. I don’t want to keep you from your food. That’s why you’re here, right? Without me there, they’ll be nicer, I swear.”

 

“Hey, hey. I came with you.” Dean smiled when Cas looked up, trying to be encouraging. “I do uh. I do have a question though. Something your brothers said earlier… About uh… Raphael?”

 

“Oh dear lord, what did they tell you? Whatever it is, I swear it’s exaggerated. Probably. That was… a rough time in my life, okay?” Cas begins to crumble, getting tearful. 

 

Dean raised his arms, trying to ward off the oncoming tears. “No no I mean! Yes, okay, they told me that you nearly killed him? He had to get a restraining order? That uh… You apparently have violent episodes?”

 

Cas dropped his head in his hands, shaking. “No, that’s… No. Look, I… I figured out I was more attracted to men than women early on, okay? I mean, I’m asexual, but I… I just don’t like women the same way. I can’t explain--”

 

Dean held up a hand, making Cas pause. “Hey, no need to explain that, okay? I’ve been around, I get it. It’s an ace thing.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Cas nodded. “Right. Yes. Okay, so anyway, I was like 13 or so. Michael and Lucifer were seniors in high school, 18ish, and they had this friend, Raphael. He uh… He caught me with a boy at school, in the gym, an exchange student named Balthazar. We weren’t… We weren’t actually… I mean, we were just kissing. We were young! But he… he started screaming at us. Told us we were uh… “fucking pansies” and that we were “going to hell,” and uh. He grabbed Bal by the throat and accused him of “defiling” his friend’s brother, and he was… He was going to kill him.” Cas started to cry, hiccuping a little as he continued, “He… He was going to kill Bal. So I grabbed a lacrosse stick someone had left out, and I just…”

 

Grabbing Cas’s hand, Dean shook his head. “Shh, shh. I get it, I got you. You’re okay.” 

 

He moved closer, and pulled Cas into his arms. Cas went willingly. He was shaking too hard to keep speaking, crying too quietly even for Dean to hear. It didn’t matter. Dean understood what had happened. He could extrapolate from there. Probably Raphael had lied, claimed that Cas had started it, and surely Cas’s family hadn’t argued or stood up for Cas, if today had been any indication. Cas probably didn’t even try to tell them the truth. It probably would have only made things worse. 

 

Dean wasn’t sure how long they sat there, but finally he pulled away. “Okay, Cas. Let’s see if we can grab that wine and get through this dinner, okay? Only a couple hours more, max.”

 

Cas took a shuddering breath, and nodded, wiping his eyes and pulling himself together. “I’ll understand if you would rather leave without me.”

 

“What? Hell no! We’re in this together, okay? You and me. We’ll get through this. I don’t abandon friends,” Dean said, smiling.

 

Cas looked at him in wonder, and slowly nodded. “All right.”

 

“Okay! So let’s get that wine, and get back to dinner. I’m sure your family is wondering what we’re doing in here.” Dean stood, and then grabbed Cas’s hand and pulled the other man to his feet as well. He turned and grabbed the wine out of the refrigerator, and then took Cas’s hand again, motioning to the door. Together, they stepped through the door to the dining room.

 

*****

 

There was a wonderful, still moment when they stepped into the room, when Cas thought that perhaps their return would be unremarked, that they would simply sit down and continue eating and the meal would go on as if they had never left. 

 

The moment shattered when Gabriel pointed at them and shouted, “The lovebirds return!”

 

Naomi sighed, and then turned to Cas and Dean, taking in their still joined hands. “Castiel, please. I allowed you to bring this young man into the house, but subjecting all of us to your depraved affair is beyond unacceptable. Now then, I’ll ask you to please sit down and cease your perverse activities. We are trying to have a nice family dinner, without your repulsive need to force your misguided views on the rest of us. Can you please do that?”

 

Cas pulled his shoulders in and ducked his head, pulling his hand from Dean’s. Or, at least, he attempted to. Dean held his hand fast, though, and squared his shoulders.

 

“Okay, you know what lady? Fuck you. In fact, fuck _all_ of you. Cas has not said one bad thing to any of you this entire visit! He’s done nothing with me in your presence that anyone else in this family hasn’t done with their spouse that I’ve seen! And yet not _one_ of you has anything nice to say about him! Or to him!” Dean was shouting by the time he got done.

 

Standing, Naomi pointed at Dean. “I am appalled, young man! I demand you leave this house immediately! You know nothing of this family or this household, and I will not have you speaking to us like this!”

 

“Fine!” Still holding Cas’s hand, Dean headed for the front door, dragging Cas behind him. Cas went meekly, not quite sure what had just happened. 

 

His mother was not done, however. “Castiel! You get back here! I have not dismissed you! We still need to have a _talk_ about your choice in dinner guests!”

 

Dean paused, and glanced back at Cas. For a long moment, they simply stared into each other’s eyes, a conversation unfolding silently between them. Finally Cas nodded, straightened his shoulders, and turned back to his mother. 

 

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mother, but I will be leaving with Dean. I do not wish to have any discussion with you about him, nor do I wish to stay in a house where my boyfriend is not welcome. Further, I will not be coming back until I have an apology for how you all have treated Dean today, and if you’re feeling particularly remorseful, how you have treated me as well,” Cas said, meeting Naomi’s eyes. She sputtered, not quite able to get herself together enough to make a comeback, and Cas turned and walked to the front door, leading a laughing Dean. 

 

He paused only long enough for Dean to spin on his heels, thrust both middle fingers up, and shout, “Suck on that, salty-ass bitches!”

 

*****

 

They ended up at a Denny’s, mostly because it was the only thing open on Thanksgiving Day that didn’t require some kind of reservation. It was busy, but they were lucky enough to have gotten a secluded booth in the back of the restaurant. Cas had slid into his side first, and was immediately surprised and pleased that Dean slid in next to him, instead of across from him. Dean had immediately grabbed his hand, and they’d sat there holding hands, staring at each other for a long moment.

 

The waiter finally came, and Cas startled out of his trance. “Do you know what you two want? I can come back if you need.”

 

Dean glanced at Cas, and then nodded at the waiter. “I think we’re ready. I’ll have the Bourbon Bacon Burger, with Bacon Cheddar Tots, and a regular coffee.”

 

“Very good, sir!” The waiter finished writing down his order, and looked up at Cas. “And for you, sir?”

 

Cas looked down at the menu for a second, and then looked back up at the waiter. “Eggs,” he said.

 

“Uh… All right. How many eggs?”

 

“How many eggs can I get?” Cas asked.

 

“You can get up to eight with the Build Your Own Grand Slam,” the waiter said.

 

Cas nodded, and looked back down at the menu again, before turning back to the waiter. “I’d like an indeterminate amount of eggs, scrambled, so I don’t know how many there are.”

 

Dean grinned, and then nudged him. “Better add some bacon to that!”

 

Taking him seriously, Cas nodded at the waiter. “Ah, yes. Can you mix in some bacon, too? Not on the side. Just. All together.”

 

The waiter was grinning hard, and wrote something down. “I’m sure we can manage something, sir.”

 

After he left, Dean wrapped an arm around Cas’s shoulders and pulled him tight against his side. “So, hey, you doing better now?”

 

Cas was silent for a moment, thinking. He nodded, and rested his head on Dean’s shoulder. “I think so, yes. I will never be welcome to that house again, but I don’t think that’s entirely a bad thing. It was never my home, anyway. I’m not sure I have a home, but… There is a weight lifted, like I can set those people aside and go out to make my own home now. It’s… scary, but necessary, I think.”

 

“Well, you know I’ll always be here if you want me, right?”

 

Cas sat up, staring at Dean. “Really?”

 

“Uh, yeah. I uh… I was kinda wondering if maybe uh… You wanted to make the whole fake boyfriend thing a permanent situation?” 

 

Cocking his head, Cas squinted his eyes and said, “You wish to be my permanent fake boyfriend?”

 

“No! I mean, yes! But no! I mean I want to be your real boyfriend. Like, I want to date you. If you want. Hang out more, that kind of thing,” Dean said, running his fingers through his hair artlessly.

 

Cas smiled softly. “I’d like that.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yes, Dean.”

 

“Good. Good. That’s very good,” Dean stammered, and grinned, and then pulled Cas against him again. “This meal is going to be like a hundred times better than the nonsense that woman made. Her turkey was way too dry.”

 

Cas laughed. “Ah, yes. Starting traditions already, are we?”

 

“Obviously! Denny’s is the best tradition. Though maybe next year we can find someplace that serves pie,” Dean said, as an afterthought.

 

“Ah, yes. Pie is important, after all,” Cas said seriously. Dean grinned, placing a soft kiss on Cas’s head. Cas smiled and snuggled in closer, though Dean would never admit to that. Cas was not sure he would admit it either, not out loud anyway. 

 

This holiday had not gone quite the way he’d planned, but Castiel couldn’t say he was upset with the outcome. He wasn’t sure what the future would hold, but he hadn’t lied to Dean. Standing up to his family, finally letting them go, it felt like freedom. A scary freedom, to be sure, but he was certain he could handle it. Especially with his new, not-fake boyfriend at his side.


	2. Epilogue: To Be Continued?

“Excuse me gentlemen! I am Richard Speight, and I am the manager at this fine establishment. We in the kitchen decided that it would only be proper for me to bring you your food, since this platter of eggs is a heart attack waiting to happen, and I’m the only one who can take on the liability for that. So tell me, which of you ordered this coronary on a plate?”

 

Cas sheepishly raised his hand, while Dean laughed. The manager set their plates in front of them, wished them well, and left. Dean couldn’t stop laughing as Cas cut into the pile of eggs an inch and a half deep on his plate. It was like one large blob of egg, with bits of bacon embedded throughout and cheese melted between the layers. Cas shoved a too-big bite into his mouth and then turned and smiled widely at Dean, who apparently was about to die laughing. 

 

Swallowing, Cas stared softly at Dean, before turning back to his plate. “These make me very happy.”

 

Dean grinned, and calming, took a bite of his own meal. “Yeah, it ain’t half bad.”

 

They ate in silence for a while, sharing quiet amused glances. Finally, as Dean was finishing off the last of his tots, he came to a decision. “Hey, I was wondering. Thanksgiving was kind of a bust, but my family is great, and they’re always willing to welcome a new face. If you want, we could try this whole holiday thing again, but at my place? For Christmas?”

 

“I would like that, Dean, if you think they’d have me,” Cas said.

 

“Well. Well awesome. Good. Good.” Dean pulled Cas into his side. “You got plans for this Saturday? Cuz I’m thinkin’ we should go to see a movie, maybe get to know each other a little better.”

 

“I think I can make that happen. I believe a “chick flick” would be appropriate for a first date?” Cas said, looking up at Dean with a grin.

 

“Baby, you know I love me a good chick flick.”

**Author's Note:**

> So! First and foremost, there will be more!! I have a sequel and three timestamps lined up, and I'll start posting those a few weeks after all the Ace Bang fics have been posted. The sequels aren't as focused on ace issues, so I was reluctant to post them all at once. Instead, starting sometime in June or July I'll post everything else. 
> 
> Secondly, I hope everyone enjoyed the story. Make sure to give Thette her own praise, too!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Art for Craiglist for the Holidays](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10940367) by [Lasafara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lasafara/pseuds/Lasafara), [Thette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thette/pseuds/Thette)




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